Colorado Springs Independent's Bill Forman has issued a new interview with DIMMU BORGIR frontman Shagrath. The following is an excerpt:

Q: A lot of Norwegian metal bands tend toward the dark side of life, including some outright Satanism. In real life, do you guys go back home to wives and kids and dogs?

A: "Absolutely. We're just like everybody else. We have families and children and responsibilities. Yeah, same thing."

Q: So does that lead to a kind of disconnect between your onstage persona and your offstage persona?

A: "I think we are so deep into what we do, it's not like we're just taking off a mask or coming home from work at 4 and doing something else. We are so passionate about the music we play, and it's extremely time-consuming as well. So it's more of a lifestyle."

Q: Melodic as your music can be, I somehow can't see you going out onstage, sitting on stools and playing acoustic guitars. How important is that theatrical element to you?

A: "I think it goes hand in hand with the type of music we play. It's dark and atmospheric music, and the shows should be like that as well. For me, that's always been important, ever since I grew up listening to bands like KISS and TWISTED SISTER, W.A.S.P. and JUDAS PRIEST. All those bands had a really strong kind of theatrical attitude, which I think is extremely necessary.

It wouldn't make sense to enter the stage with Dimmu Borgir in blue jeans and a white T-shirt. And what would be the point? If there is nothing to see, you might as well just stay home and listen to the CD."

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